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Inflatable artificial sphincter

Artificial sphincter (AUS) - urinary

Sphincters are muscles that allow your body to hold in urine. An inflatable artificial (man-made) sphincter is a medical device. This device keeps urine from leaking. It is used when your urinary sphincter no longer works well. When you need to urinate, the cuff of the artificial sphincter can be relaxed. This allows urine to flow out.

A cuff, which fits around your urethra. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from your bladder to the outside of your body. When the cuff is inflated (full), the cuff closes off your urethra to stop urine flow or leakage.

A balloon, which is placed under your belly muscles. It holds the same liquid as the cuff.

A pump, which relaxes the cuff by moving fluid from the cuff to the balloon.

A surgical cut will be made in one of these areas so that the cuff can be put in place:

Scrotum (men)

Labia (women)

Lower belly (men and women)

The pump can be placed in a man's scrotum. It can also be placed underneath the skin in a woman's lower belly or leg.

Once the artificial sphincter is in place, you will use the pump to empty (deflate) the cuff. Squeezing the pump moves fluid from the cuff to the balloon. When the cuff is empty, your urethra opens so that you can urinate. The cuff will re-inflate on its own in 90 seconds.

Why the Procedure Is Performed

Man-made sphincter surgery is done to treat stress incontinence. Stress incontinence is a leakage of urine. This occurs with activities such as walking, lifting, exercising, or even coughing or sneezing.

Stress incontinence

Stress urinary incontinence occurs when your bladder leaks urine during physical activity or exertion. It may happen when you cough, sneeze, lift so...

Catheter

You will not use the artificial sphincter for a while after surgery. This means you will still have urine leakage. Your body tissues need this time to heal.

About 6 weeks after surgery, you will be taught how to use your pump to inflate your artificial sphincter.

You will need to carry a wallet card or wear medical identification. This tells providers you have a man-made sphincter. The sphincter must be turned off if you need to have a urinary catheter placed.

Women may need to change how they do some activities (such as bicycle riding), since the pump is placed in the labia.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Urinary leakage decreases for many people who have this procedure. However, there may still be some leakage. Over time, some or all of the leakage may come back.

There may be a slow wearing away of the urethra tissue under the cuff. This tissue may become spongy. This may make the device less effective. If your incontinence comes back, changes may be made to the device to correct it.